Holdback



(No Model.)

J. H. LOGAN.

i HOLDBAGKT Np. 483,325. Patented sept. 27, 1892.

" Z, :D .Z Z( y i y @ww UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN HENRY LOGAN, OE ovERLoOK, NEw YORK.

HOLDBACK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 483,325, dated September 27, 1892.

Application filed May 20, 1892. Serial No. 433.698. (No modeL) To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN HENRY LOGAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Overlook, in the county of Dutchess and State of New York, have invented certannew and useful Improvements in Holdbacks for Vehicle- Thills; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in holdbacks for vehicle-thills; and it has for its Object to" facilitate the bitching and unhitching of the horse.

A further and more immediate Object 0f the invention, which will be both simple and cheap of construction and which will not be liable to become accidentally detached when the horse is retained within the thills by the traces, will upon the breaking or accidental unhitching of the traces be automatically released by the forward movement of the horse, thus preventing damage being done to the vehicle or injury to the occupants of the vehicle in case of runaway.

To these ends and to such others as the invention may pertain, the same consists in the peculiarities of construction and in the novel combination, arrangement, and adaptation of parts, all as more fully hereinafter described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and then specifically defined in the appended claims.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which, with the letters of reference marked thereon, form a part of this specication, like letters of reference indicating the same parts throughout the several views, and in which drawingsn Figure l is a perspective view of a holdback attachment embodying my improvements, the same being shown as attached to the under face of a vehicle-thill. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the device Fig. 3 is a bottom plan View of the device. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail in perspective of the holdback casting or loop.

Reference now being had to the details of the drawings by letter, A designates a vehiclethill t0 the under face of which is attached my improved form of holdback device. The device comprises the base-plate B, preferably formed of malleable metal and provided at the ends with screw-holes b b, through which are passed screws b b by which itis secured to the under side of the thill. Near its rear end the said base-plate B is provided with a forwardly-inclined hook C, the free end C of which is curved slightly outward, as s hown. Upon the inside of the hook C and adjacent to the base portion or standard C2 of the same an opening D is provided in the base-plate.

E designates a spring-plate, preferably formed ot' steel. This plate is shown in the present instance as having one of its ends secured to the under side of the thill by a screw or bolt E;- but it is at once evident that 1f preferred it may be attached directly to the base-plate. This spring-plate E extends rearwardly and upwardly, and at a point near its end it contacts with the inner face of the hook when the holdback loop or casting 1s not in place therein. The extreme rear end of the said plate is bent at right angles to the body of the casting, thus forming the point E2, which when the plate is depressedenters the opening D in the base-plate.

The holdback loop or casting F is made in a single casting, consisting of the main loop or body portion F and loop F2 to receive the holdback-strap. The end cross-bar G at the end of the bodyportion of the casting, which is designed to engage the hook C, is rounded upon its inner face, as shown at f, so as to permit the casting to be freely turned when in place within the hook C when placed within or being released from said hook, which upon its under face the said cross-bar G is cut away to form a substantially-right-angled recess g, thus forming a shoulder g2, within v which recess is seated the angle h of the spring-plate E when the hook is in place, as shown. The holdback-loop portion F2, it will be observed, is inclined inwardly at a slight angle from the main portion of the casting, so as to present the same in the line of draft or strain upon the holdback-strap when in use.

The operation and advantages of the device will from the foregoing description be readily understood by those skilled in the art IOO npletely over, so as to release the angle of the spring from the notch Within Which it is seated; It will be at once seen that the casting cannot be made to assume this' position While the traces are hitched; but in the event of breaking or unhitching of the traces the horse in moving forward Will cause the cast-n ing to be turned, thus releasing the same from the hook C and permitting the horse to move freely mit of the thills.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim to be new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent., is-

Iu a device of the Character described, in combination, a base-plate provided With a forwardly-extendin g hook, a sprin g-plate having its free end within the hook and at a point near its end bent at an angle to the body of the plate, and a holdback loop or casting adapted to engage the hook and having an angular recess to engage the angle of the splingplate, substantially as shown and described, and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof l affix my signature in presence of Witnesses.

JOHN HENRY LOGAN.

Witnesses:

BYRON L. MORE, THoMAs LoGAN. 

